NOVEL WEB Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Blood on the Snow
Kai Province – The Northern Border, Year 6 of Tenbun (1537 AD)
The winds of war howled across the mountains.
The snow-covered fields stretched endlessly beneath the pale winter sky.
And at the center of it all—
A small group of Takeda warriors stood at the edge of the frozen river, their swords drawn, their eyes filled with tension.
On the other side—
A force of thirty enemy samurai approached on horseback, their banners bearing the crest of the Murakami Clan.
Among the Takeda soldiers stood a young silver-haired boy, his blade glinting in the frost.
He was only nine years old.
Yet his presence was colder than the winter air.
"Prepare yourselves."
Takeda Harunobu's voice was steady.
"They are not here to negotiate."
The enemy warlord raised his hand.
A single command was given.
"Kill them all."
The enemy charged.
Horses thundered forward, spears glinting in the sunlight.
The Takeda warriors stood firm.
And in the next instant—
The battlefield erupted into chaos.
Steel clashed against steel.Blood splattered onto the snow.Men screamed, horses reared, arrows whistled through the air.
Amidst the carnage—
A silver-haired boy moved like a shadow.
Yuki weaved through the chaos, his sword flashing in quick, precise arcs.
One.
Two.
Three.
The enemy samurai never saw him coming.
A single clean strike to the neck.A perfectly calculated thrust through the heart.
One by one, they fell.
His movements were not wild, nor desperate.
They were cold.
Precise.
Efficient.
The other Takeda warriors stole glances at him between battles.
They had seen seasoned fighters hesitate before their first kill.
But this child—
He did not flinch.
He did not pause.
He did not feel fear.
When the battle finally ended, the river ran red with blood.
The Murakami warriors lay motionless, their bodies half-buried in the snow.
Takeda Harunobu wiped his blade clean, glancing at his men.
"Losses?"
A samurai bowed.
"Four dead, two wounded. The enemy has been wiped out."
Harunobu nodded, satisfied.
His eyes shifted to Yuki, who stood silently, his blade still dripping with blood.
The young warrior had not spoken a single word since the battle began.
And yet—
He had killed more men than any other soldier on the field.
The Takeda warriors whispered among themselves.
"That child… he's not human."
"A demon in the form of a boy…"
"No wonder Lord Harunobu keeps him close."
"He isn't just a warrior—he's a weapon."
Takeda Harunobu smiled.
"Good."
"That is exactly what I need."
That night, as the Takeda warriors made camp, Yuki sat alone beneath the stars.
His fingers traced the hilt of his sword.
Blood still stained his hands.
But he did not feel guilt.
He did not feel sorrow.
Only emptiness.
Because for as long as he could remember—
Death had always been his companion.
And it always would be.
[Fated Death: Progressing.]You have fought in your first battle.You have been recognized as a warrior of the Takeda.Your name is beginning to spread across the land.
But fate is not kind.
The more you kill—
The closer death draws near.